JULIAN FERNANDEZ pitched Bowen Fastpitch of Illinois to a 1-0 victory over RM Kurtz of Pennsylvania in the winner’s bracket final of the NAFA World Series A-Major Division Saturday night at Northside Softball Complex. The 19-year-old has won all four of Bowen’s games in the 30-team tournament. Photo By BOB OTTO / Aug. 12, 2017

FARGO – It’s not always wise to come to an international fastpitch tournament with one pitcher. But that’s what Bowen Fastpitch has done.

How’s it worked out? So far just fine as long as Julian Fernandez is in the circle

The right-handed, 19-year-old Argentinian pitched two shutouts on Saturday in the 30-team, A-Major Division to help advance Bowen into Sunday’s championship game.

In the tournament Fernandez is 4-0 and has pitched 24 innings, allowed six runs and struck out 37 batters.

Fernandez was nearly untouchable in beating the California Buzzards, 12-0, earlier in the semi-finals, and even better in the winner’s bracket final. He held a young and talented RM Kurtz of Pennsylvania to three hits in a tense and thrilling 1-0 victory, setting aside 10 on strikeouts with sharp-breaking risers and drops, while walking only one.

“He has pitched every inning for us and he has been good,” said Bowen manager Rocco Ramsey.

And Fernandez can swing the bat. With his speed, he often leads off. In the tournament he is batting .400 and has scored five runs.

In Saturday’s nightcap with RM Kurtz, he led off the game and reached second base on an infield error, and came around to score the game’s only run on Conrado Zanattini’s single to left field.

From then on, the game settled into a pitching duel. RM Kurtz sent 20-year-old Derek Martin to the circle and he responded brilliantly, giving up just four hits with five strikeouts.

RM Kurtz had a golden opportunity in the top of the seventh to tie the game when Matt Spitler doubled up the middle to lead off the inning. But Fernandez struck out the next two batters and he scooped up a hard-hit ground ball and threw to first to lock up the game.

The loss drops RM Kurtz into the loser’s bracket where they must win once for a return engagement with Bowen to decide the championship.

And without much doubt, Julian Fernandez will be in the circle.

The A-Major championship is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. Sunday at Northside Softball Complex. Should Bowen lose the first game, a second will follow soon after in the double-elimination format.